25 Uses for Honey in the Kitchen

While talking with a friend the other day I mentioned I needed to buy some honey at the Farmer’s Market. He then surprised me by saying he received 5 gallons of honey for a wedding gift but didn’t know what you use honey for. After giving him a wide-eyed surprised, and slightly envious stare, I told him. Then I thought, I bet there are a lot of people out there that don’t realize all the ways you can use honey and replace sugar in your home. I go through at least two gallons of honey every year and I’m always looking for new ways to use more because I have a serious sweet tooth.  And as everyone knows white sugar is not the healthiest for you.

Most recipes you read are going to call for white or brown sugar instead of honey. There are a few good cookbooks out that use honey in their recipes that I’d recommend such as The Fresh Honey Cookbook by Laurey Masterton or the Taste of Honey: The Definitive Guide to Tasting and Cooking with 40 Varietals by Marie Simmons 

. If you are like me thought you want to use your current cookbooks and just substitute the sugar for honey. So how do you do that? Cooking with honey is fairly easy, although honey does burn more easily so you might want to watch your food in the oven more carefully, turn it down 25F, and make sure you stir the bottom of the pot because it might burn. Baking is a bit more tricky. I did some scouring of the internet and my favorite website was a site called Bee Raw, but here is a good one and this is a good one as well. I also did some good old trial and error in the kitchen using honey instead of sugar.

With this wisdom combined here are some guidelines for substituting honey for sugar while baking.

1. Substitute 1 cup sugar with 1/2-2/3 cup of honey
2. For every cup of honey you use subtract 1/4 cup of other liquids from the recipe
3. Add 1/4 tsp of baking soda for every 1 cup of honey used
4. Reduce the temperature of your oven by 25F when baking with honey

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Now, here’s a list of ‘foods’ that you can use honey with, or * items can be made by replacing the sugar with honey.

1. In your coffee
2. Drizzled on your smoked or kippered salmon
3. Making homemade granola
4. Drizzled on your morning yogurt
5. In your tea
6. Peanut butter and honey sandwiches (I have three small kids)
7. On your oatmeal or other hot grain cereal.
8. In your homemade jam*
9. In your homemade berry syrup*
10. Homemade applesauce*
11. Homemade bacon, just replace the maple syrup with honey*
12. Drizzled on your biscuits or cornbread.
13. Honey butter for your biscuits or cornbread.
14. Homemade Ketchup*
15. Homemade popsicles*
16. Pie filling*
17. Cobbler Filling*
18. Making Kombucha *
19. Homemade Bread*
20. Cookies*
21. To feed your yeast when baking*
22. Glazes on meats*
23. Homemade BBQ sauce*
24. Frostings*
25. Homemade Salad dressings

Now that I gave you a list of food items that you can use honey with. Here is a recipe to get you started.  These cookies are good, trust me.

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Print

Smokey Cowboy Cookies

A chocolate chip oat cookie enhanced by a subtle smokiness.  

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups smoked white flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup coconut, dried cranberries, or nuts optional
• 1/8 cup smoked bourbon sugar

Instructions

1. In a large bowl cream the butter, brown sugar, and normal granulated sugar with an electric mixture.

2. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat well.

3. In a separate bowl, combine the smoked flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder. 

4. Add the dry ingredients to the butter-sugar mixture and blend.

5. Pour in the chocolate chips, oats, nuts, etc., into the mixture, turn the mixer on low then gradually increase the speed until mostly blended. 

6. Turn off the electric mixer and scoop the bottom of the bowl with a wooden spoon and fold the mixture together.

7. Using a teaspoon, plop walnut sized cookie dough chunks onto a cookie sheet leaving 1" of space between cookies.

8. Sprinkle the cookies with smoked bourbon sugar.

9. Bake for 12 minutes at 325F.

That’s what I used honey for at my house. Looking at my list I noticed a lot of honey was used substituting sugar. I wonder what else honey can be used for or substituted for? Please feel free to share.